Rail derrick



R. KERsHAw RAIL DERRICK Aug. 9, 1949.

5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May lO, 1946 Aug, 9, 149

Filed May l0. 1946 R. KERSHAW RAIL DERRICK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. KERSHAW RAIL DERRICK Aug. 9, 1949.

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 10, 1946 I N VEN TOR.

Patented Aug. 9, l.1949

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAIL DERRICK Y' Royce Kershaw, Montgomery, Ala.

Application May 10, 1946, Serial No. 668,813

7 claims. (o1. 2154-1391) This invention is a rail derrick adapted particu- Ylarly for use in railroad construction andreconstruction for the quick and easy handling of various machines and materials used in such work.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a rail derrick in connection with a supporting vehicle of light construction capable of being quickly and easily removed from the track after its purposes have been fullled, or to permit of railway cars passing over a track under reconstruction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clerrickv inassociation'with, a supportingV oar, wherein Vthe load to whichthe derrick is subjected is borne directly by the rail and is not transmitted to the car. U

f A further object of the invention is toV provide a derrick of the character and for the purposes generallyrstated involving a construction whereby the derrick may be easily and quickly taken apart or dismantled, or may with facility be erected and ready for operation at either side of the car.

A Ifurther object of the invention is to provide a vehicle supported derrick structure with improved means for dogging the supportingcar to the rails for stabilizing, purposes.

With the foregoing objects in view.;-V together with otherswhich will appear asrthe'description proceeds, the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will @be described more fully` hereinafter', illustrated in the drawing, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings- Fig. l is a side elevation of a rail derrick constructed in accordance withthe invention and illustrating the parts in the position theyv will assume when the derrick is ready for operation,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the improved derrick and associated structure, and

Fig. 3 is an end elevation on an enlarged scale, showing the supporting car and the manner in which it may be dogged to the rails.

In carrying out the invention, the vehicle proposed includes alight body or frame indicated at 4, which, as here shown, may be made oi' channel members of light but durable construction bolted or Welded together in substantially rectangular iform'and suitably braced in order thatit may withstand strains and stressesv to which it may be subjected in use and handling. The body frame of the vehicle carries transversely disposed axles 5 near its ends to which are secured trackengaging wheels 6,. the-latter being spaced apart l the standard gauge to rest and travel upon the rails indicated at 1. It is preferred that this Vehicle be of such size and such weight as will enable the same to be readily lifted :by workmen to abe applied to or removed from the track as occasion requires.

The derrick Vstructure associated with the vehicle includes a mast 8 which may be formed of metal of light gauge for convenient handling, this mast having a bracket 9 secured near its lower end and tovwhich the pivot pin Ill of a boom Il may be removably secured. This boom may 'be of appropriate length, gauge and weight for the uses to which it will be subjected. The outer end of the boom is provided with a sheave or pulley I2 over which a rope or cable I3 passes, the inner end of which is secured to a drum or hoist mechanism I4 carried by the boom. This drum may be rotated by hand if desired, or it will be understood that a power-operated drum may be employed if desired. The boom is sta- :bilized by a rod l5 detachably connected at one end as at I6 to the boom and by means of the key and slot connection indicated at l' at its inner end. This key engages in a slot or opening provided in the forwardly extending clevis member l'8 at the top of the mast. From this construction it is apparent that the boom is capable of swinging in an arc upon the upstanding mast 8, and that operation of the windlass or drum I4 enables articles, machinery or supplies to be readily lifted by the boom.

The mast 8 is provided near its lower end with a depending member constituting a tongue i9, which tongue is engageable in a clevis member or socket 2i! on the end of the car body 4 directly above the rails l. It will be observed that a clevis or socket member 20 is provided at each side of the car so that the mast may be erected over either of the supporting rails 'l of the track. The tongue and socket elements are so located that when the tongue is properly engaged with the socket the lower end of the mast is either engaged with the underlying rail or is spaced a fractional distance above it, so that weight delivered to the mast through the boom II will be borne by the rail l, rather than lby the frame or body of the car. It is also to be observed that the pivotal connection of the boom with the mast is in approximately the same horizontal plane with the body of the car, so that the weight of the boom will tend to hold the mast securely in place against the car end.

The mast is equipped with means for maintaining it in properly. ,stabilized upright pQSitis-n,

which means includes guy rods 2|'. 'These rods have their ends iiattened as shown, their upper ends being secured by means of readily assembled pins 22 between outwardly projecting ears 23 secured to the upper end of the mast. The lower ends of the rods are engaged between and pinned as at 24 between spaced ears projecting upwardly from the car body at the corners thereof. One oi the rods 2| is disposed transversely of the car as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, while the other is disposed longitudinally of the car and parallel with the sides thereof. To additionally stabilize the mast, a diagonal tie ro'd or brace 25 is used. This rod has its upper end hooked within an ear 26 projecting laterally from the upper end of the mast 8, while its lower end is similarly hooked within an upstanding ear 2l on the car frame diagonally opposite the corner which supports the mast. The connection of these stay or guy rods with the mast and car is such that while `they aiford` rigid stabilization for the mast, they may be quickly andeasily detached and the entire derrick structure dismantled when occasion requires. The arrangement and` assembly is also such that the mast may be erected at either side of the car so that the mast is not conned to use at one. side only oi the car body.

The invention also comprehends improved means for dogging or clamping the car body to the rails when the derrick or crane is to be used. The mechanism for accomplishing this clamping action includes a rock or oscillatory shaft 23 mounted longitudinally and preferably in the median line of the car body, suitable bearings 2i! being employed to properlysupport the sha-it. Depending from each of the four corners oi the body frame of the car are links n, the said links being` .pivoted to the underside of the car frame by pins 'il passing through ears secured to the car frame. Clamp members 32 are pivoted at their upper ends as at 33 to the lower ends of links 3B. rlhe members 32 are provided at their lower ends with inturned head members 34 to engage beneath the ball of the railV 1.

The shaft lil is provided near its ends with radially disposed arms 35, to the-outer ends of which links or rods 35 are pivotally attached. rods are also pivotallyV engaged at their cuter ends with the pivot members 33 connecting links. 3Q with clamp members The rods 36 may be adjustable lengthwise for obvious nurposes, the nut and thread arrangement represented generally at 37 being employed for this purpose.

Pivotally mounted upon the car body for rocking movement transversely thereof is a lever the pivotal connection with the car frame being represented at 39. The lower end gli of this lever is pivoted as at 4l to the outer end of. a link or connecting rod d2, the inner end of which is connected as at i3 with an arm lit secured to and radiating from the. rock shaft 28. The rod or link 132 may also be adjustedV longitudinally by operation of the nut 45 as will be understood.

From the foregoing description it is obvious that the car body, of simple construction and light weight, may be easily lifted and placed upon the rails l when desired and may with equal facility andease be removed therefrom when required. In construction and reconstruction operations, when it isdesired to' lift heavy machinery or supplies the mast is erected at that side of the car most convenient to the materials or weights to `be handled. With themast erected and stabilized in the manner described, the windlass may be operated to lift the machines and materials and the weight thereof is borne entirely by the mast which rests directly upon the supporting rail. None of this excessive weight is delivered to the framing or body of the car. In order that the car may be held rigid against any tendency toward moving while the derricl; is in operation, as well as to maintain the car against any tendency toward tipping, the dogging mechanism is employed. The mechanism, as described, is of extremely simple construction and is easily operated to bring about a secure and rigid clamping action between the car and the rails l. Movement oi the operating lever 3B in one direction causes the links 3S to be swung in such direction as will lbring about upward movement oi the clamps 32, causing a rigid binding between the heads 3 thereof and the underside of the ball portions of the rails l... Movement of the lever 38 in. the opposite. direction will cause a breaking of this clamping action whereupon the car may be moved along vthe track or removedtherefrom if desired. From the foregoing, it is ap parent that I have provided a portable and readily handled derrick structure of extremely simple construction, which `may be easily handled` with but few workmen, which has its parts so constructed and assembled as to be `capable .of being easily erected or dismantled .with the exercise ci a minimum of skill, vand which will vprove t.' cughly efficient and practical in accompli-si n.' the ends sought.

Having thus describedmy invention, I- claim:

1. In a derrick structure, .a vehicle including a frame, a socket on said frame, a mast engaged with said socket and adapted to rest upon the support for the vehicle, said mast bodily removable from said vehicle, guy members releasably connecting the mast to said frame, and means for holding said `vehicle upon its support.

2. In a derrickY structure, a vehicle comprising a car body adapted to travel upon -a' track, amast removably motmtedat one corner of said body and resting upon a railof said track, guy members releasably-connecting .said mast with other corners of said body, anda crane supported by said mast.

3. In a derrick structure, a vehicle comprising a car body mounted upon wheels and adapted to travel uponva track, a socket at a corner .of said body disposed directly above a rail of said track, a mast bodily removable from and engaged with said socket and resting upon saidA rail, a boom pivoted to said mast in substantially the same horizontal plane with said-car bod-y, a brace `connecting the outer end of said bodrn withthe upper part of said mast, and guy rods connecting the top of said mast withV otherl corners of said car body.

4. In a derrick structuraa vehicle comprising a car body adapted-toy travel upon'- a track, socket members on said body disposed one' directly above each rail of said track, a mast,` a tongue offset from said mast to engage in either of said socket members while resting upon a rail, guy rods removably connecting the upper part of said mast with saidV car body, yand a crane carried by said mast.

5. In a derrick. structure, a car body having wheels to travel upon a track, a rock shaft disposed longitudinally andi substantially centrally of said car body,links-:pivotedto and depending from said' car body abei'zesaid rails, clamps pivoted to saidl links andlhavngfportions toV engage with ners of said body disposed above said rails, a mast,

a tongue secured to said mast engageable in either of said socket members, said tongue disposed a distance above the bottom of the mast equal to the distance from the sockets to the rails whereby said mast will rest upon a rail when the said tongue is engaged in a socket, guy rods detachably connecting the upper end of said mast with corners of Y Y ends of said. clamp members, arms connected to and projecting from opposite sides of said rock shaft, rods connecting the ends of said arms to the pivots connecting said links and clamp members, and a lever for rocking said shaft.

v ROYCEVKERSHAW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the` le of this patent:

l UNITED'STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,762,705 Vaughn June 10, 1930 1,780,989 Talboys Nov. 11, 1930 1,828,973 Leister Oct. 27, 1931 1,897,383 Burgoyne Feb. 14, 1933 1,958,824 Jones May 15, 1934 2,003,252 De Lange May 28, 1935 2,128,712 Neff Aug. 30, 1938 Christofferson July 25, 1944 

